Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians

Summary: This story is about a boy named Alcatraz Smedry who was abandoned by his parents. He has been bouncing around from foster home to foster home. Approaching age 13, the evil librarians are keeping a close eye on him. He receives a gift of sand from his father for his birthday, which quickly makes the action in this story come to life. On his journey with Grandfather Smedry, he discovers that his ability to break things is considered a talent. He learns that he is an Oculator and that the evil librarians who want to be the reins on all information, including the sand. In the end, Alcatraz learns that his father is an Oculator and his mother is one of them…an evil librarian.

Bib Info: Sanderson, Brandon. (2007). Alcatraz versus the evil librarians. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Interest Level: 3-6

Impression: Alcatraz Smedry is a humorous character who has good intentions in everything he does. He possesses the ability to break things and doesn’t intentionally mean to. As an orphan, he wonders where his real parents are and struggles staying in one foster home for long. He spends the book talking to the reader and uses sarcasm throughout. It is an entertaining fantasy read.

Reviews and Awards: Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 02/01/08, School Library Journal 11/01/07, Horn Book 01/01/08, Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) 10/01/07, Horn Book starred 04/01/08, Wilson's Children 10/01/10, Publishers Weekly starred 11/19/07, Wilson's Junior High School 01/09/10

Reviews: In Sanderson's (Elantris) children's debut, an over-the-top fantasy/adventure, librarians are evil because they control all the information in Hushland (America). They distort some facts and fabricate the rest. Alcatraz, meanwhile, is the name of the protagonist, who has been raised in a series of foster homes. As the novel opens, on his 13th birthday, he is quickly initiated into the true nature of librarians by his heretofore unmet grandfather, Leavenworth Smedry. Before long, Sanderson brings on talking dinosaurs (it's a librarian distortion that they're extinct), a parallel world, visiting villains and more. The madcap plot can seem chaotic, with action pulling Alcatraz toward new characters at a breakneck speed, but Sanderson unexpectedly draws everything together in an extravagantly silly climax. Readers whose sense of humor runs toward the subversive will be instantly captivated: not only does the author poke fun at librarians, he lampoons books (including this one) in frequent passages directly addressed to readers: "You are saying to yourself, 'The story just lost me. It degenerated into pure silliness.... I'm going to go read a book about a boy whose dog gets killed by his mother. Twice.'" Like Lemony Snicket and superhero comics rolled into one (and then revved up on steroids), this nutty novel isn't for everyone, but it's also sure to win passionate fans. Ages 9-up.
[Review of the book Alcatraz versus the evil librarians by B. Sanderson]. (2007, November 17). Publishers Weekly. Retrieved from: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/home/index.html

Gr 5-8-The conventional trappings of the middle-school fantasy get turned upside down in this zany novel. Alcatraz is a 13-year-old boy with hidden powers, but his talent is "breaking things." The powerful object he must find is a bag of sand, he battles monsters made of paper, and his arch nemeses are evil librarians. It all sounds ludicrous, but there is actually some consistent logic that makes the adventures engaging, as well as silly. Seemingly random insertions, such as a bunch of very civilized dinosaurs that speak with English accents, later play key roles in the plot development. Alcatraz opens nearly every chapter by addressing readers directly, and frequently interrupts the narrative, a technique that adds to the enjoyable bizarreness. He reflects flippantly upon writing techniques, gives broad hints about what may happen next, and even tells outright lies about his own story. It takes a while to adjust to this intentionally chaotic narration, but it ultimately becomes quite effective. The details of this fantasy world, where librarians dominate "Hushlanders" by withholding information about many things, including the existence of three other continents, make just enough sense to frame the sometimes frantic plot. Though there's intentionally more humor than drama, Alcatraz becomes a more complex figure by the time his adventure is through as he discovers the value of friendship, courage, and family. Readers who prefer fantasy with plenty of humor should enjoy entering Alcatraz's strange but amusing world.
Engelfried, S. (2007, November 1). [Review of the book Alcatraz versus the evil librarians by B. Sanderson]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from: http://www.slj.com/

Use in library setting: This book can be used to teach point-of-view in writing. It can also be used to have students act out their favorite parts of the story.